Methods for bonding dissimilar synthetic polymeric materials and the products involved in and resulting from such methods

Abstract

A method of improving the bond between dissimilar polymeric materials, such as, for example, a vinyl resin material and a polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material, which comprises: including in the vinyl resin material an acrylate or an acrylated urethane; providing in the polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material an organic peroxide or other UV or thermal activated free radical initiators; bringing the vinyl resin material and the polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material into contact; and exposing the vinyl resin material and the polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material, while in contact, to curing conditions in the presence of said organic peroxide or other UV or thermal activated free radical initiators, whereby there is sufficient chemical interreaction between these resin materials as to create a strong and permanent primary chemical bond therebetween, in addition to any secondary bonds, such as hydrogen bonds and/or van der Waals forces. The present invention also relates to the products involved in and resulting from such methods.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A multi-layered construction of two dissimilar synthetic polymeric materials comprising a first layer of a vinyl resin and at least one plasticizer for said vinyl resin and from about 10 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of a member of the group consisting of acrylates or acrylated polyurethanes, and a second layer covering said first layer of a synthetic polymeric material containing a member of the group consisting of polyurethanes and acrylated polyurethanes, and from about 0.5 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight of a free radical polymerization initiator capable of initiating a polymerization reaction between said acrylates or acrylated polyurethanes in said first layer and said polyurethanes or acrylated polyurethanes in said second layer, both of said layers having one surface in contact with one surface of the other layer throughout substantially their entire one surface areas and being bonded throughout substantially all of said surface areas in a strong and permanent primary chemical bond therebetween by a reaction product of a polymerization involving said polyurethanes or acrylated polyurethanes in said first layer and a synthetic polymeric material containing a member of the group consisting of polyurethanes or acrylated polyurethanes containing from about 0.5 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight of free available isocyanate in said second layer. 
     
     
       2. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said free radical polymerization initiator is an organic peroxide. 
     
     
       3. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said free radical polymerization initiator is lauroyl peroxide. 
     
     
       4. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said free radical polymerization initiator is t-butylperoxy isopropyl monocarbonate. 
     
     
       5. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said polyurethane in said synthetic polymeric material is a reaction product of a diisocyanate and a polyol. 
     
     
       6. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said acrylated polyurethane in said synthetic polymeric material is a reaction product of a diisocyanate, a polyol, and a hydroxyalkyl acrylate. 
     
     
       7. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said vinyl resin in said first synthetic polymeric material is polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
       8. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said acrylate in said viny resin composition is methoxy polyethylene glycol mono-acrylate. 
     
     
       9. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid acrylated polyurethane in said first layer is a reaction product of a diisocyante, a polyol, and a hydroxyalkyl methacrylate. 
     
     
       10. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said acrylated polyurethane is said first layer is a reaction product of a diisocyanate, a polyol, and a hydroxyalkyl acrylate. 
     
     
       11. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein first layer is substantially free of blowing or foaming agents and is substantially unblown or unfoamed. 
     
     
       12. A mutli-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said second layer is substantially free of blowing or foaming agents and is substantially unblown or unfoamed. 
     
     
       13. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said first layer containing said polymerizable acrylates or acrylated polyurethanes has a substantially uniform thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.030 inch. 
     
     
       14. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 1, wherein the polymerization reaction initiated by said free radical polymerization initiator involves dissimilar monomeric materials. 
     
     
       15. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 14, wherein the reactant in said first layer is an acrylate and the reactant in said second synthetic polymeric material is an acrylated polyurethane. 
     
     
       16. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 15, wherein said acrylate in said first layer is polyethylene glycol dimethyacrylate. 
     
     
       17. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 15, wherein said acrylated polyurethane in said synthetic polymeric second-layer is derived from a diisocyanate; a polyol, and hydroxyethyl acrylate. 
     
     
       18. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 15, wherein said acrylated polyurethane in said synthetic polymeric material is derived from a diisocyanate, a polyol, and hydroxyethyl methacrylate. 
     
     
       19. A method of improving the bond between a vinyl resin material and a member of the group consisting of polyurethane and acrylated polyurethane resin materials which comprises: including from about 10 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of a member of the group consisting of acrylates and acrylated polyurethanes in said vinyl resin material: providing from about 0.5 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight of a free radical polymerization initiator in said polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material, said polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material containing from about 0.5 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight of free available isocyanate; bringing said vinyl resin material and said polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material into contact; and exposing said vinyl resin material and said polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material to curing conditions, whereby there is sufficient chemical inter-reaction between said resin materials as to create a strong and permanent chemical bond therebetween in addition to any hydrogen bonds of van der Waals forces. 
     
     
       20. A method as defined in claim 19 wherein a polyurethane resin material is used and curing conditions take place at elevated temperatures of from about 260° F. to about 410° F. for a period of time of from about 1 minute to about 8 minutes. 
     
     
       21. A method as defined in claim 19 wherein an acrylated resin material is used and curing conditions take place at elevated temperatures by means of radiation curing techniques. 
     
     
       22. A method as defined in claim 19 wherein an acrylated resin material is used and curing conditions take place by means of mercury vapor arc radiation curing. 
     
     
       23. A method as defined in claim 19 wherein an acrylated resin material is used and curing conditions take place by means of medium pressure, mercury arc radiation curing. 
     
     
       24. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein said vinyl resin material is exposed to elevated temperatures sufficient to fuse said vinyl resin material prior to bringing said vinyl resin material and said polyurethane or acrylated polyurethane resin material into contact. 
     
     
       25. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 19 comprising a layer of a base synthetic polymeric material to which said first layer containing said polymerizable acrylates or acrylated polyurethanes is substantially uniformly applied and adhered. 
     
     
       26. A multi-layered construction as defined in claim 25 wherein said base synthetic polymeric material contains a blowing or foaming agent and is blown or foamed.